The City of Oakland carries the distinction of being one of the “greenest” cities in the nation, as ranked by national magazines and institutional indexes. The mayor and City Council adopted several initiatives to establish the city as a leader in sustainable development.

The Oakland Energy and Climate Action Plan was the City’s first effort to develop a comprehensive, long-term plan to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. With a limited outreach budget, Charles designed and implemented an outreach and engagement strategy to increase understanding and support from technical experts, local businesses, community organizations, and local residents. The strategy helped the City identify key stakeholder groups as partners in the outreach effort, with strategically timed expert, business, and community workshops to develop innovative ideas and priorities for the plan.

The Energy and Climate Action Plan was adopted by the City Council on December 4, 2012.